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There's the perception that the trip to Tallahassee has been a nightmare for #4 Duke (23-4, 10-2) in recent years, but while it is a tough trip the Blue Devils hadn't lost there since 2006 before their 66-61 loss last January. On the line tonight is a share of first place (with North Carolina), a position few expected #16 Florida State (19-7, 10-2) to be in as they were struggling in November and December.

NO. 17 LOUISVILLE (21-6, 9-5 Big East) AT CINCINNATI (19-8, 9-5 Big East)

 

Time: 9 p.m.

 

After a 15-2 run gave Louisville a 51-46 lead with 3:38 remaining it seemed as if the Cardinals were well on their way to an eighth straight win over #2 Syracuse. In a contest that featured some ugly offense, a five-point margin seemed to be near insurmountable despite the Orange's many talented players. However a Brandon Triche jumper just 18 seconds later would start a 6-0 run, which ended with a C.J. Fair bucket with 2:11 to go to give Syracuse the 52-51 win.

Despite the fact that the distance between first and second place is just two games with five to go many have conceded the regular season crown to #2 Syracuse (25-1, 12-1), and rightfully so as the Orange have been head and shoulders above the rest of the conference. The race to observe has involved the other three double-bye slots, and #18 Louisville (20-5, 8-4) is a player in that regard. That makes Monday's game at the KFC Yum! Center an important one, with the Cardinals also in position to use the win to bolster their resume from an NCAA tournament seeding standpoint.

With first place on the line in Columbus the expectation was that #11 Michigan State and #3 Ohio State would play a tight, physical affair. And that's exactly what it was, with the visitors from East Lansing seeming to be the more comfortable of the two teams in the first half. Michigan State shot 46.9% from the field but the reason for their 35-25 lead at the half was their defense, as they limited Ohio State to 33.3% and forced eight turnovers.

NO. 23 LOUISVILLE (19-5, 7-4 Big East) AT WEST VIRGINIA (16-9, 6-6 Big East)

 

Time: Noon

 

Quite a bit was made of the team meeting called by UConn forward Alex Oriakhi on Friday, and how it may have sparked a revival of the reigning national champions. But maybe that should have been another red flag, given the first couple of paragraphs in the Hartford Courant recapping the Huskies' 69-46 win over Seton Hall.

On the heels of their decisive win over Seton Hall, Connecticut (15-7, 5-5) will look to keep things going as they visit #25 Louisville (18-5, 6-4) in a critical Big East matchup. For all the issues that UConn's dealt with recently they're just a game out of fourth, and with that being the final double-bye slot in the Big East Championship this is a game both teams need.

NO. 25 LOUISVILLE (16-5, 4-4 Big East) AT SETON HALL (15-5, 4-4 Big East)

 

Time/TV: 8 p.m./SNY, MASN, Big East Network, ESPN Full Court

AP Top 25 Commentary: There was a major re-shuffling in this week's AP Poll. Only one team remained in the same spot: #18 Mississippi St. The big news is that Kentucky takes over from Syracuse atop the poll, but there were more interesting changes at the bottom.